Stand



May 9, 1939.- F; J. HRUSKA ET AL STAND 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 9, 1957 IN V EN TOR.

BY W772 M ATTORNEY.

y 9, 1939- F. J. HRUSKA ET AL 5 ,020

STAND Filed July 9, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet Ed HAUSKA 5 Q @6250, INVENTOR.

AT T ORNEY Patented May 9, 1939 UNITED STATES STAND tion, Cedar Rapids, Iowa Iowa, a -corporation of Application July 9, 1937, SerialNo. 152,783

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to stands and more particularly to such stands as are used by bookkeepers. Among the objects of this invention are to provide a stand which is readily adjustable for use in different positions of heighth adjustment; to provide a stand which will normally retain itself in its highest position of adjustment, after being put in such position, regardless of any ordinary loads; to provide'a structure of the character indicated which is normally self-sustaining in any adjusted positionunder a givenload; and such further objects, advantages, and capabilities as will hereafter appear and as are inherent in the construction disclosed herein. Our invention further'resides in the combination, construction, and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings and, while we have shown therein what is now regarded as the preferred embodiment of this invention, We desire the same to be understood as illustrative only and not to be interpreted in a limiting sense.

In the drawings annexed hereto and forming a part hereof:

Fig. 1 represents a plan and Fig. 2 a front elevation of a stand embodying our present invention;

Fig. 3 represents a side elevation, extended to full height, and Fig. 4 a side elevation, lowered as much as possible, of this invention;

Fig. 5 represents a horizontal section taken approximately along the plane indicated by the line 5--5, Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 represents a fragmentary vertical section taken approximately along the plane indicated by the line 6-6, Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 represents a fragmentary vertical section showing the latching mechanism in detail; and

Fig. 8 represents a cross section approximately along the plane indicated by the line 88, Fig. 3.

Reference will now be made in greater .detail to the annexed drawings for a more complete description of this invention. This stand comprises relatively movable top and bottom sections supported on casters and provided with means for moving the two sections relatively to each other and for holding them in relatively adjusted position when the stand is extended to its full height. Besides the casters I, the bottom or base section comprises the tray 2 and the leg sections 3 and 4. The top section comprises the upper tray 5 and the upper leg sections 6 and l. The top section also comprises the bars 8 which are bent, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and fastened, at their ends, to the downwardly extending flange of the top 5.

The lower leg sections Sand 6 have their longitudinal edges'turned in, as indicated at 9 inFig.-8, to form a channel within which the upper leg sections 6 and "l are received and are vertically slidable during adjustment of the heighth of the :25; stand. Brackets or arms ID are secured to a'pair of leg sections 3 and have the ends of a U-shaped handle H secured thereto, as indicated at l '2. Links l3 connect the opposite arms of thehandle II to the bars '8 and furnish force-transmitting I means whereby force applied to the handle ll may be transmitted to the top section of the stand. The tray is connected by means of springs l5 to the handle H. It will therefore be apparent that, as the handle is lifted from 1. the position shown in Fig. 4 toward that shown in Fig. 3, the top section will move upwardly and the springs l5 will contract, as shown by a comparison of Figs. 3 and 4. Therefore, the tendency to elongate the springs l5 when the top section moves downwardly results in these springs tending to counterbalance a weight placed on the tray 5.

On the front of the stand are mounted a pair of brackets !6 which cooperate with the latch IT, actuated toward holding position by a spring IS. A hinge I9 connects the latch I! to the handle member II. This handle member is provided with a loop 2i! intended to be grasped by the hand when the handle is being operated. A fingerpiece 2| is secured to the latch I! and serves as means for unlatching the handle so the top may be removed. Arms 22 and 23 furnish means whereby the spring I8 may be attached to the handle member II and latch l1. When one grasps the grip or hand-piece 2G with the right hand and presses with the thumb against the finger-piece 2!, he stretches the spring 18, turning the latch I! on its hinge l9 and freeing the latch from the brackets l6, which makes it possible to move the handle member H downwardly. When the handle is unlatched and moved downwardly from the position shown in Fig. 3, the links l3 are pulled downwardly, thus causing the bars 8 to move downwardly and with these travel the tray5 and leg sections 6 and l. The pivot 8a travels downwardlyat substantially the same rate as the pivot I la but the lower end of spring I5 moves downwardly more rapidly than does its upper end. This, therefore, causes elongation of the springs I5 and a consequent tendency on the part of the springs to cause the forward end of the handle to move upwardly. The stronger the springs l5 the greater Will be the tendency to hold the tray 5 in its upper position.

It will of course be understood that the specific decription of structure set forth above may be departed from without departing from the spirit of this invention as set forth in this specification and the appended claims.

Having now described our invention, we claim:

1. A table comprising a base section including substantially vertical guides, a top section which may be elevated from the base section, said top section comprising a top or tray table, members depending therefrom slidably engaging said guides, a lever pivoted to one side of the base section, extending below the top or tray table and to the opposite side of the base section, loose connection means connecting the top section and said lever intermediate the length of the latter, said loose connection means allowing pivotal motion of the lever and concurrent vertical reciprocation of the top section, and a tension spring connected to the top section and to the lever at a point between the connection of the lever tothe connection means and the free end of the lever whereby, upon pivotal motion of said lever, the points of connection of said tension spring to the top section and to the lever both move in the same direction.

2. A table comprising a base section including substantially vertical guides, a top section which may be elevated from the base section, said top section comprising a top ortray table,members depending therefrom slidablyengaging said guides,a leverpivoted to one side of the base section, extending below the top or tray table and to the opposite side of the base section, a connecting link pivoted to said lever intermediate the length thereof and to said top section, said link being positioned approximately parallel to said vertical guides, and a tension spring connected to the top section and to the lever at a point between the connection of the lever to the link and the free end of the lever whereby, upon pivotal motion of said lever, the points of connection of said tension spring to the top section and to the lever both move in the same direction.

3. A table comprising a base section including substantially vertical guides, a top section which may be elevated from the base section, said top section comprising a top or tray table, members depending therefrom slidably engaging said guides, a pair of levers both pivoted to one side of the base section for movement thereof respectively approximately in the planes of the two sides adjacent to said one side of the base section, said levers extending below the top or tray table and to the side of the base section opposite said one side, loose connection means connecting the top section and each of said pair of levers intermediate the length of each of said levers, said loose connection means allowing pivotal motion of said levers and concurrent vertical reciprocation of the top section, and a tension spring connected to the top section and to the levers at points between the connection of the levers to said loose connection means and the free ends of said levers whereby, upon pivotal motion of said levers, the points of connection of said tension spring to the top section and to the levers both move in the same direction.

FRANK J. HRUSKA. EDWARD D. GREEDY. 

